Lost and Found
by Voyfan2
Summary: Kathryn wasn't going to leave Tom stranded in the Delta Quadrant ...
1. Chapter 1

_This is an epilogue of sorts to "Autopilot" by Morgan Stuart, in which Tom volunteers to stay behind to get Voyager through a wormhole to the Alpha Quadrant. As soon as I finished reading, my muse said, "Hold on … there's no way Kathryn is going to leave him there." _

_KJ, Tom and anything Voyager-related belong to CBS. Anything/anyone else is mine and is written for entertainment purposes only._

**XXX**

The burst of noise outside his office pulled Tom away from his work. Not that he minded; the buzz signaled another busy night at the bar. It would be a good week.

He'd just returned his attention to the liquor order when he sensed someone at his office door.

"Be right with you, Brago ..."

"Tom ..."

That voice … his head snapped up and the forms fell out of his hands. He didn't — actually, couldn't speak — just vaulted over his desk and gathered the woman into a hug, which she returned fiercely.

"Oh, my God, Kathryn! I thought I'd never see you again," he whispered into her ear.

She pulled back to cup his face in her hands. "Tom, you don't know how happy I am to see you. You look wonderful!"

_Happy didn't begin to cover it. After a month of searching the various planets around the wormhole, she feared that it was all for naught; that Tom was dead._

_Then miracle of miracles, she picked up a single human life sign on Vikina, along with the traces of some Starfleet technology._

_The technology was a dead end: She found the Flyer in a scrapyard, heavily damaged, and her fears grew. The human life sign she traced to this bar in the tourist section of the main city. An unassuming place in an old residential area just off the main drag._

_She hoped that he would forgive her for accepting his offer to use the Flyer to generate a phaser blast to hold open that wormhole. It worked: Voyager made it through … all the way to the Alpha Quadrant. But Tom was left to survive on his own._

They finally let go of each other, and he led her out to his secluded back booth. "Would you like something to eat? Drink? We offer quality booze here, though the wine is a bit stronger than Earth's."

He waved over an imposing man with light green skin and facial ridges. "So, Boss, this lovely lady is the reason why you don't give the others any attention, eh?" he smirked as he took their orders.

"Kathryn, this is Brago, my manager," he said. "He's a good man, though he's too worried about my lack of a love life."

"Just want to keep you happy, Boss," Brago said as he departed. "Even if you are the craziest jackal I've ever met."

"Actually, Brago, she may be crazier," he said pointing at Kathryn. "I'll explain later ..."

She gave him a look, then chuckled. "Actually, you may be right."

She sighed, and he could see a trace of the Captain snap back. "I'm sorry it took so long to get to you. Took me a year to figure out how to stabilize that damn wormhole. And a few more months to get the plan in place and get here." She paused. "What happened to you?"

"It was a rough ride. I made it here, but it was a crash landing," he said. "I spent time in the hospital."

She winced. "I'm so sorry."

"It's all right," he said. "The authorities couldn't believe that you took Voyager through the wormhole. Apparently it has quite a reputation. They kept telling me I was lucky; that you all were probably dead."

"Well, no ..." she said with a thin smile. "The ship took a beating. We all did, too, but we made it."

Tom smiled. "I got lucky. This is a nice world … lot of travelers and traders, so I was able to fit in and find work. The weather isn't bad, either." 

"Looks like you've gone beyond just finding work. Is it 'Boss' as in owner?"

"Yep," he said. "About seven months ago. I won the place playing their version of pool." he said, nodding toward some game tables.

Her eyes widened. "Are you kidding?"

"Actually, I think the owner threw the game. He planned to run off with his girlfriend and didn't want his wife to get the place. We're running on a shoestring … the bastard left me with a big tax bill." He paused. "I had to sell the Flyer for scrap to raise money. But business is picking up, so I'm optimistic."

They fell silent for a moment as Brago delivered the drinks. "I thought about you a lot the night I won this place … actually, I still think about you."

She laughed. "Thomas, I'm giving back the 'crazy jackal' title," she said affectionately. "Only you could win a bar in a pool game." She took a sip of her ale, and gave him that lopsided grin. "And I've thought a lot about you, too. I've missed you."

That was no lie. She had thought about him almost constantly. At first it was mostly worry and guilt, but as time went on, she realized that she missed _him. _And seeing him now, with that mischievous twinkle in his eyes, tanned and his hair impossibly blonde from the sun … well, it was nudging loose some of those thoughts she'd put away on Voyager ...

He was glad to see her dig into the plate of kinnip fritters that Brago had added; she was still much too thin. But she looked well, younger, without the weight of commanding Voyager. And that smile ... damn … he realized that he'd missed her, too.

"That's good," she said of the fritters. "I'd be happy to reciprocate, say some replicated tomato soup and grilled cheese?"

"That sounds good; neither my cook or I can make a decent tomato soup."

While the small talk was nice, Tom definitely was getting the idea that something wasn't quite right.

"So, _Captain_, did you bring Voyager back?"

"No, just me," she said quickly. "And actually, it's 'Admiral,' as in retired Admiral, but let's go back to Kathryn."

"So you came out here by yourself? Kathryn, what's happened?"

She sighed. "This is where I hand you bad news. We should have passed up that wormhole. We got home in the middle of a war. Something called the Dominion, commanded by shapeshifters, teamed up with the Cardassians and the Breen. The Federation finally won, but at great cost."

"My God … they threw you into that?"

She snorted. "Me? No. I was kicked upstairs to a desk job. They gave my ship to an idiot who lost her on the first mission." She shook her head and blinked back tears.

Tom swore softly at the news. "How about Harry? B'Elanna?"

"Harry's fine, but several of the folks who stayed in Starfleet were killed. The Maquis were pardoned, and most of them got back in the fight, this time with the Federation's blessing. They lost folks, too."

She paused. "I should tell you that Chakotay and B'Elanna got together. They're expecting a baby."

Tom took a breath. "Well, I'd expected something like that." He'd also suspected that it wasn't welcome news to her, not that she'd ever say.

She looked down at the table, then back up at him. "I have more bad news. Your father died … about eight months ago."

Tom let out a long breath.

She reached across the table and took his hand. "I told Owen everything … your sacrifice, the fine officer you were … the good man you are. He left a message for you; he was sorry for everything, and he was _very_ proud of you."

The tears surprised him, and he closed his eyes as Kathryn squeezed his hand.

"He and his friends gave me a great deal of clandestine help with my efforts to find you," she said softly.

"Clandestine?" he managed.

"I made it clear to the brass that I intended to find you. They ordered me not to. Said they couldn't spare the resources."

"Well, it's nice to be wanted," he said sarcastically. He leaned forward and took her hand in both of his. "Look, Kathryn, I'm delighted to see you … your faith ... risking your life to come back here ... I don't think I could ever adequately thank you for that.

"But I never had much of a reason to go home … and it sounds like I sure don't have one now. I've made a life here … I'm not sure I'd want to come back with you."

He expected her to be upset; she just grinned. "Actually, I'm glad to hear that," she said, squeezing his hand again.

"What does that mean?"

She shifted a bit. "There's not much for me on Earth, either." That was an understatement. Mark had married someone else and Phoebe blamed her for Mother's death. "Anyway, as soon as I perfected the stabilizer device, I retired … and stole a shuttle to get here.

"I'm not here to take you back, Tom, I … I hoped to join you."

He sat back and looked at her in amazement, then started to laugh. Some things didn't change: Kathryn was still barreling through life.

"I'll be damned," he finally said, "Kathryn, I've always suspected that you had a wild side."

She looked amused. "Is that so?"

He grinned back at her. "Well, you are quite the pool shark. And you're crazy enough to plow through a ship-eating wormhole — twice. Actually, the second trip was even more insane, considering you didn't know if I was dead or alive."

"You know, it seems _you're_ the only one who brings out that side of me," she said, her voice low and smoky. She leaned forward, chin in hand, and gave him a look that took his breath away.

"I haven't had much chance to indulge that part of myself." She smiled softly and raised an eyebrow. "Interested in finding out just how wild I can be?"

He leaned forward, reaching out to gently brush his fingertips across her hand.

"Well, you know me … I'm always up for a challenge."


	2. Many Years Later

"Ed, there's someone here to see you.

Eldi's call broke him away from his work. He walked into the living room, where she was standing with a man … a Terran? … in a strange uniform.

"Ed Paris," he said, extending his hand, which the man shook. "You're Terran? I'd heard there were a few more of us here."

"Yes, I am," the man said. "I'm Commander Edward Wells Jr. of Starfleet. I apologize for the intrusion; I was just telling your wife that I'm looking for information."

"Well, I've heard of Starfleet and I know a bit about Earth. Let's talk."

**XXX**

"I'm looking for information on two individuals," Edward said, pulling two chips from his pocket. "One of them is Lt. Thomas Eugene Paris," he said, activating the chip.

"Oh my," Eldi said, "he is so young there."

Ed blinked back tears. "My dad. He was a Starfleet pilot. Actually, he could fly about anything."

Edward read between the lines. "I take it he's not ..."

"No, he passed two turns ago. Not long after Ed's mother," Eldi said. "We always felt that he died of a broken heart."

"I'm so sorry. His sister, Kathleen Paris, is still alive; she'll be happy to learn that he had a life here. But first, do you know anything about this woman?" he asked, activating the second chip. "This is Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway."

Ed was feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Was she … were they in any kind of trouble?"

Edward smiled. "No, this is a personal quest. Kathryn Janeway is my great aunt, the older sister of my grandmother, Phoebe Janeway."

Ed and Eldi look at each other and smiled. "You came to the right house, then. Seems you and I are related: Kathryn Janeway was my mother."

Edward sat back heavily. "Wow …" he said, laughing. "She made it … they both made it."

"They did," Ed laughed. "It's quite a story."

"We had bits of information. We knew your dad had to stay behind to get Voyager through the Dessan wormhole. And we knew Aunt Kathryn repeatedly asked for a rescue mission to bring him back, but was denied.

"About 18 months after Voyager returned, Aunt Kathryn took a shuttle and disappeared. There was evidence that she intended to find your dad, but traversing the Dessan was not high on Starfleet's priority list. They finally launched an exploratory mission a few months ago. When I heard about it, I signed on."

"That's consistent with the stories that Mom and Dad told us," Ed said. "And I could sit here all night and tell you stories about them. Are you here for a while?"

Edward nodded. "My ship will be here for the week."

Ed smiled, and Edward realized that he had Aunt Kathryn's eyes, not to mention a hint of red in his graying hair. "Well, then, you should meet my brother, Owen, and our children ... and grandchildren. Let me get everyone together. I'm sure they'd love to meet a relative from Earth. And we could find some images for you."

**XXX**

"I noticed that you didn't mention that Owen still had that ship," Eldi remarked after Edward left.

Ed shrugged. "I suspect they can find it, though why they'd want the old thing is beyond me."

"I am amazed that Owen keeps it running."

"I'm glad he does," Ed laughed. "The replicator thing is the only way I can get good tomato soup."

**XXX**

A few days later, Edward sat in his quarters, weighing his words before he activated the vid.

"Hi, Grandma. It's been an emotional few days … but I wanted to talk to you before I got home.

"I found out what happened to Aunt Kathryn. You were right, she made it through that wormhole. She was either 60 years ahead of Starfleet technology, or it was blind luck, but she made it to a planet called Vikina, where she found Tom Paris alive and well.

"She stayed … they got married. It's quite a story, Grandma. Seems Tom won a bar while playing Vikina's version of pool. It was a little neighborhood place that they ran for 20 years. Then then opened a pizza parlor — the first on the planet. The family still runs it.

"And in case you're wondering, Aunt Kathryn had some ties to one of the universities. There are some scientific research papers out here by a Dr. Kathryn Paris.

They had two sons; one is also named after Grandpa Edward. I've met them both, along with their children and grandchildren. Ed and Owen had quite a childhood; they had some crazy stories about growing up above a bar. They said Kathryn and Tom were devoted parents … they'd all swim and surf at the beach, they traveled, Tom gave them flying lessons, Kathryn took them sailing.

"The bad news is that I couldn't talk with her. I'm sorry, Grandma, but Aunt Kathryn died four years ago. Tom died two years after that. But know that she and Tom had a happy life together, and their family loves and misses them both.

"They told me that toward the end of her life, Aunt Kathryn said she regretted the argument that you two had. That she wished that she could talk to you one more time.

"I'm sending along a couple of vids and some images the family gave me. I'll save the rest until I can give them to you in person. I also gave them the images that you and Kathleen sent.

"We've dropped some communications satellites out here; I'm told that a connection between Earth and Valkina should be ready within the next six months. So you'll be able to talk with Ed and Owen yourself; they'd like to meet you.

"Anyway, I should sign off so this will make the next feed. Take care, Grandma. I hope this eases your mind a bit. Love you."

He sighed. Grandma was going to be scandalized by some portions of that message. Her perception of Aunt Kathryn sure didn't fit the stories he'd been told this past week.

However, Kathleen was going to have a good laugh, especially about that infamous pool game. Not to mention the other stories …

Just for fun, he pulled up one of the vids …

_Kathryn and Tom were sitting on a deck; their beach house, he was told. They were older: Kathryn's hair was white; Tom had lost a great deal of his._

"_No, Danhi," Kathryn said patiently. "I've told the story about how we bought the stove through my winnings at pool."_

"_Face it Danhi, your grandmother is a pool shark," Tom quipped. "And I've talked about how I introduced pizza to the planet."_

"_The family fortune," Owen teased. _

"_That concept is making you and your brother a very good living," Kathryn teased back. She raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps I should tell Danhi how we nearly lost the dog because it got away from you and ran into the kitchen at the bar."_

_Tom started to laugh. "I will never forget Dracco chasing the dog through the bar. He was shouting and waving that big meat cleaver, and people were jumping out the windows to get away from him. I still can't believe that the police didn't show up."_

"_And then he ran into Mom," Ed added before he started laughing again._

"_Actually he ran into the Captain," Tom said, wiping his eyes. "She was about a third his size, but she just stood there with her hands on her hips. Stopped him in his tracks."_

"_I simply told him that dog wasn't on the menu, and to stop terrorizing the customers … and my kids." She raised an eyebrow at Tom. "Of course we had to give everyone a drink on the house to get them back inside."_

_She started to chuckle. "Poor Dracco; from that day on, he became known as 'The Crazy Cook.'"_

Edward was still chuckling as he shut down the vid. "Aunt Kathryn, I'm so sorry I missed you and Tom," he whispered. "And wherever you are …. I hope you two are together … and still laughing."


End file.
